Matthew needs a city-friendly SUV with a tough streak.

What city-friendly off-roader should I buy?

Matthew needs a city-friendly SUV with a tough streak.

What city-friendly off-roader should I buy?

23 Jul 2015Cameron McGavin

The dilemma

Matthew is after a car that can deal with mild towing and off-road work while still being well mannered around town. He needs enough space to carry a surfboard without relying on roof racks, plus a dog-friendly boot. He likes Jeep's Cherokee Trailhawk but isn't so sure about its fuel economy and maintenance costs.

The budget

Up to $50,000

The shortlist

The Cherokee combines off-road ability with the city flair Matthew is looking for but, as he suspects, isn't so strong on the cost/servicing fronts.

In theory, then, it's worth at least looking at other options. The problem is finding ones that matches the Jeep for true dual-purpose ability.

Mazda's CX-5, for example, is the class act if you just need an SUV to play a passenger-car role. Here though, its compact boot and 150mm ground clearance are negatives, and it's no towing benchmark, even if it's better than some alternatives.

Ford's Kuga, Honda's CR-V, Hyundai's ix35, Kia's Sportage, Skoda's Yeti, Toyota's RAV4 and VW's Tiguan are similar to the Mazda in that they fail to get through this part of the contest without snagging against one or more of these crucial criteria. Suzuki's Grand Vitara fits the basic brief admirably but is a bit outdated in 2015 in a lot of the ways that count.

Jeep Cherokee 4X4, from $39,000

A clever AWD system and nearly 200mm of ground clearance make this Jeep one of the best soft-roaders for dirty work. The Trailhawk is even more able with its low-range gearing, extra ground clearance (221mm) and other changes.

The Cherokee has more to offer on the towing front than most rivals (2200kg maximum for V6 petrols, 2393kg for the diesel).

Its cabin is nicely presented and functional, if not staggeringly roomy in the back and bereft of a driver's footrest. The petrol V6 is overtly gutsy, the diesel strong and thrifty, and it's surprisingly car-like to drive.

However, the engine you'd want (the diesel) is only available in the topline Limited model and the one fitted to the Trailhawk (the petrol V6) is thirsty. You'll also be seeing the dealer more often than with some rivals (every six-months/10,000km).

Nissan X-Trail 4WD, from $33,980

This Nissan can't match the Jeep's off-road abilities but stacks up pretty well with its lockable AWD system and decent ground clearance (210mm). Get a diesel/manual version and you're looking at a decent 2000kg maximum towing capacity.

The X-Trail has more than enough cabin/boot space and functionality for Matthew (pity the boot isn't hard-lined like before, though) and service costs are capped for six years/120,000km, with this group's most convenient intervals (yearly/10,000km).

The Nissan's space-saver spare, however, isn't ideal and the 1500kg maximum towing capacity of all auto models is potentially limiting. Diesel/AWD models are exclusively manual.

Subaru Forester, from $29,990

This Subaru's good ground clearance (220mm) and sophisticated X Mode AWD system allow it to tread further than most compact SUVs, if not the low-range equipped Trailhawk.

It's got plenty of engine choice (mainstream petrol/high-performance petrol/diesel) and its ride/handling combination is nicely tuned for the dual-purpose role. Subaru caps service costs for three years/75,000km.

If you must have an auto, a Forester diesel will get you a better maximum towing capacity (1800kg) than a two-pedal X-Trail. Otherwise, its towing credentials (1500kg for petrols) are no better than average.

The back seat and boot, while more than functional enough for most needs, aren't the roomiest in the class, either.

Its capped-price servicing plan has six-monthly/12,500km intervals, so expect more cost and inconvenience than the Nissan's, not just inferior coverage.

Drive recommends

The Jeep is the best off-roader and tow vehicle of this group but has the least convincing ownership pitch.

The X-Trail has the least to offer in the off-road and towing roles but is a good all-rounder with this group's best ownership.

Which leaves the Forester to take the win. It's not the best off-roader of this group, the best tow car or the best car to own but it scores solid points in each area while avoiding some of the obvious shortcomings of its rivals. It's this group's happy medium.